Lucy Van Pelt: A Lost Cause (Part 1)
by HPDrummerman
Summary: After learning about Lucy's suicide, Charlie Brown, now a restaurant owner in Vallejo, California, flies back to his hometown for the funeral. Meanwhile, Linus, now a retired staff sergeant from the army and living in Boston, wrestles with whether or not to go to Lucy's funeral. He is estranged from his family, except for Rerun, and has nothing to do with them.
1. Chapter 1

Lucy Van Pelt: A Lost Cause (Part 1)

 **CHAPTER 1: FAILURE FACE NO MORE**

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE: As mentioned, this mini-series will be based off the fanfic_ A Waste of Time and Space _. Read that fanfic posted by David Crap-Writer to see the background behind this story. Link here: s/13126518/1/A-Waste-of-Time-and-Space_

* * *

 _Vallejo, California, 5:30 AM_

It was almost dawn. The alarm went off. And a 36-year-old Charlie Brown was getting up to start the day. He had to open his restaurant; a restaurant that he started with a business partner named Susan Franks. It was named Brown's Bistro, and it served everything from Italian, to burgers, to steaks, to seafood. It was named a five-star restaurant and was listed in the Top 20 Restaurants in California. This was a far cry from the days that he couldn't do anything right and was considered a failure. He had proven everyone wrong and that he could be successful.

After getting out of the shower, Charlie went downstairs to start breakfast and check his messages. He saw his phone beep with a new message. He saw it was from Linus. In the years since they were kids, the two best friends kept in constant contact with each other, although Linus was way on the other side of the country in Boston. Charlie figured since it was in the middle of January it must have been freezing over where Linus was. He checked his phone to see what Linus had sent. The message was small but to the point:

 _"The bitch is dead. Just FYI."_

Charlie Brown knew what that meant. His biggest antagonist and Linus's sister, Lucy Van Pelt, had died. He wasn't particularly shocked or even saddened. He knew that she wasn't taking care of herself and had gained a ton of weight; even more than she already had gained when all of them were in high school. Anything could have killed her. A heart attack, diabetic complications, hypertension, anything. What he was wondering was how she finally kicked the bucket. He decided to call his parents. If anyone knew the details, they would. He dialed his father's cell number.

On the other end, Charlie's father, Silas, answered the phone. "Hey, son. What can I do for you?"

"Dad?" Charlie began. "I just got a message from Linus. Lucy apparently had died last night. Do you or mom know anything about it?"

"Now that you mention it, Lacey, their mother, had called us this morning. She told us that Lucy had committed suicide."

"Suicide?!"

"Yeah. I can see why. Her parents have been taking care of her for this long and she never did anything with her life but get overweight and eat herself into oblivion. From what they told me and your mom, everyone had enough of her and she was about to be evicted and was facing some financial problems from overdue credit card bills. She must've been desponded over her situation."

"Well, dad, Lucy never really grew up. She still felt like the world owed her something. That everyone had to bend over backwards. And her attitude sucked, too. She didn't give a damn about anyone but herself. Not to mention the years of abuse she heaped on me."

"I understand, son. Lucy was a difficult person to deal with."

"That is the mother of all understatements, dad. As bad as I got it from her, Linus and Rerun had it worse because they had to LIVE with her! Linus hated her and even severed ties with his parents because they paid more attention to her than him and never intervened when she beat him and Rerun up. I don't know if Linus will even go to the funeral. I'll ask him later today about that. Did you tell Sally about Lucy?"

"No not yet, but we will let her know."

"I'm sure her fiancée will jump for joy."

"Why do you say that, Charlie?"

"Because it's Schroeder, Lucy's former crush. He couldn't stand her probably even more than Linus, Rerun, and myself combined."

"Good point. Anyway, I gotta head for the shop. I'll let you know about the funeral plans when they become available."

"Thanks, dad. I'll talk to you later." And Charlie Brown hung up the phone and finished getting ready for his day.

 **NEXT CHAPTER: FROM THEOLOGIAN TO ARMY BRAT**


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2: THE FORGOTTEN SON**

 _Boston, Massachusetts, 10:45 AM_

Retired staff sergeant Linus Van Pelt was finally getting up. He had a rough sleep after being woken by the late-night call from his estranged mother about Lucy's death. He had never forgiven his parents for neglecting him and Rerun growing up and never putting a stop to Lucy's abuse. When Linus finally turned 18, he left home and joined the army. Over the years Linus had risen in the ranks, eventually becoming a staff sergeant. While overseas in Syria, Linus was wounded in his leg badly. He had to have his leg amputated as a result. He was airlifted back to Sparkyville, so he could recuperate at home. When he returned home and was in the hospital, he never received a visit from his family at all (Rerun was doing time in prison at the time, so he couldn't visit). The only people who came to see Linus when he got home was the Browns, including Charlie Brown, who had flown in from California just to see if his best friend was all right. Old friends who were still in town even paid him a visit, bit no one from his family at all.

Linus eventually received a prosthetic leg and started rehab, so he could learn to walk with it. It was at rehab where he met the love of his life, Audrey, who was a nurse at the hospital. And with time and dedication, he would walk on his own again with the prosthetic leg. He even started getting closer to Audrey and going out on dates. It was after a while when he popped the question and asked for her hand in marriage. Charlie Brown, of course, served as his best man. Unfortunately, other than Rerun who was out on parole after serving his time, nobody from his family even showed up for his wedding. When Linus asked his mother why no one had showed up, she told him that they were setting Lucy up with a new apartment, the same one where she eventually killed herself. That was the final straw for Linus as he finally told them unless one of them dies or is in an accident, not to call him ever again.

Linus first put on his camouflage-colored prosthetic leg, then went to hit the shower. Afterward, he sat down for breakfast that was cooked by Audrey, who was now expecting their first child anytime soon. They planned to ask Charlie to be their kid's godfather after the child was born. Audrey noticed her husband's cranky demeanor.

"What are you thinking about, Linus?" she asked. "You're not nervous about the baby, are you?"

"Well, I am a little nervous," Linus replied. "But that's not why I'm in a mood."

"Would it have to do with the call you received last night?"

"I was hoping it didn't wake you. My mother called."

"Uh oh. What happened?"

"It's Lucy. She's finally kicked the bucket."

"Oh my god! How did it happen?"

"I don't know or care. I didn't even stay on the phone long enough to find out. I didn't want to deal with her, especially that time of night."

"Linus, I know she upset you plenty of times, but you should at least find out how your sister passed away. Not to mention you need to hash out the problems with your parents."

"Audrey, my parents were clueless, at best. At worse, they were negligent. They don't give a shit about me or Rerun. Well, at least dad showed a little concern about us, but mom, she couldn't be bothered because Lucy needed her. And I think dad got dragged in only because mom needed him to help her help Lucy. I think dad was on our side, at least a little. Still no excuse for leaving us with a psychopath for a sister that used us as her personal punching bag. I actually remember the last time Lucy physically assaulted me…"

 _ **Thirteen Years Earlier…**_

 _A 16-year-old Linus was in the kitchen eating breakfast before going to school. Everything was peaceful until his sister Lucy entered the kitchen. She was still larger than Linus, but Linus was now taller than she was. Lucy had gained a substantial amount of weight, tipping the scales at 280 pounds. As she got older, her attitude and crabbiness had gotten worse than when they were young kids. Linus didn't worry too much about himself as he did his younger brother Rerun. Lucy and Rerun were close as kids, but now she was abusing him even worse than she did Linus. However, Linus started fighting back as of recently._

 _"Did you eat all of the Frosted Flakes?!" she demanded from her little brother._

 _"What's it to you, Lucy?" Linus retorted._

 _"You know I love Frosted Flakes!" she reasoned._

 _"Last week it was Cheerios," said Linus, not even batting an eye._

 _"I CHANGED MY MIND!" she hollered. Linus was by this time used to Lucy's outburst that he didn't even fly out of his seat whenever she shouted. "Now what about the fucking Frosted fucking Flakes?!"_

 _"Goddammit, Lucy!" he said, patience now gone. "We all ate the damn cereal! Mom, dad, me, Rerun, we ALL ate it! What are you going to do? Beat up all of us?! There's still some Cheerios left. EAT that!"_

 _"BUT I FUCKING WANTED FROSTED FLAKES!" Lucy shrieked. Then she slammed Linus's face into his bowl of cereal hard that it broke the bowl. "Enjoy your breakfast now, shithead!"_

 _Linus finally had enough. He grabbed his sister hair and slammed her against the wall. Linus had taken to lifting weights and exercising just because of her and so he could hold his own against her._

 _"Listen to me, you psycho bitch!" he snarled through gritted teeth. "THAT will be the last time you lay a fucking finger on me! The next time you hit me, punch me, or even do what you just did to me, I will fucking kill you! I swear to Christ! I! Will! KILL! YOU! YOU FUCKING PSYCHOTIC TWAT!" And he shoved her to the ground._

 _"You can't rough up a woman!" she retorted._

 _"Who the hell said you were a woman?!" he countered as he headed for his car to go to school._

 _ **Back to the present**_

"I'm not proud of that at all," said a remorseful Linus, finishing his flashback. "Even with her, I am not proud of what I did that day. But she never laid a finger on me again after that. I even told her later that if she harmed Rerun again, I'd do even worse than if it was me. Usually I don't lay a hand on a female, but after years of abuse and nothing happening from our parents, I finally had enough of her shit."

"I totally understand, Linus," said Audrey, comforting him. "You were driven to your breaking point with her. Let's face it. Lucy was a miserable woman. Her bad mood _was_ her good mood. It's a miracle you dealt with it THAT long."

"As bad as it was for me, Rerun had it worse," said a sad Linus. "He started doing drugs and going out after dark to get away from her. I patiently waited until I was 18, then I split without looking back. I moved in with Charlie Brown for a while when he was still in college. I enrolled in the army soon afterwards."

"Well I, for one, know you are a great human being, Linus," said Audrey, hugging him. "I never would have married you if that wasn't the case." Linus started to feel better. Then the couple heard a knock on the door. Audrey went to answer it. It was Rerun. He had also moved to Boston to be closer to Linus and Audrey. Rerun was skinny and scruffy-looking. His hair was longer and even thicker. He sported a goatee now and had tattoos all over his arms. He was the youngest Van Pelt sibling, but due to his years of substance abuse and hard living, he looked even older than his older brother.

"Rerun, come on in," said Audrey. Rerun walked in. "Linus is in the kitchen eating breakfast. You're welcome to join us."

"Thanks, Audrey," said Rerun with a smile. He walked in and joined his older brother. "Hey, bro."

"Hey, Rerun," greeted Linus. "Grab a plate and dig in." And Rerun got himself a plate and served himself some scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast, with a glass of milk. He sat down and joined Linus and Audrey.

"So, when are you due, Audrey?" Rerun asked.

"Any day now," she replied.

"Rerun, mom had called earlier this morning," said Linus.

'Really? What did mommy dearest want this time?"

"Lucy's dead."

"REALLY?! You're not yanking my leg or anything, are you?"

"Nope. Our, and I say this ironically, sweet and loving sister is no longer with us."

"Any idea how she died?"

"Nope, and I didn't leave mom on the phone long enough to find out, as she was still making excuses for her, even in death. She even said she tried to kill you over the last Oreo once."

"Bullshit! Lucy tormented me just as bad as she did you. Still, I'd like to find out how she died."

"Maybe. But for right now I want to enjoy this breakfast my wife had made." And the three of them ate breakfast and talked about other things.

 **NEXT CHAPTER: ON TO THE CITY OF BROTHERLY LOVE**


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3: BEETHOVEN, HAIR, AND BEYOND**

 _Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 12:30 PM; Location: Sally's Boutique_

At a salon called Sally's Boutique, 30-year-old Sally Brown was working on Mrs. Wilmhelm's hair. Mrs. Wilmhelm was her best client and the lady always requested Sally rather than her other employees to work on her hair. Sally was the owner of the salon. She followed in her and Charlie Brown's father's footstep and went into the hair-styling business. As she got older, she got better in school than she was when she was a little girl. She even started respecting Charlie even more than she did when they were younger; especially after he tore into Lucy that day in high school all those years ago. But her business and its success weren't the only reason she was happy. Sally had grown into quite the good-looking woman. Her blond hair now cascaded down by her shoulders but still curled at the ends. She had a nice slim figure, but still had curves in the right places. When she was in high school, she easily made the cheerleading squad.

She was also engaged to someone. Before she entered high school, she gave up her unrequited love for Linus, as she realized he would never date her. But after the aforementioned chewing out of Lucy from Charlie, Schroeder started noticing Sally and how nice she was. She respected Schroeder and his piano playing. She never bombarded him with "If we were married" scenarios that Lucy would with him. He also laid into Lucy telling her once and for all that they would never be together, and even if she wasn't a fat, disgusting, slovenly blob of a girl, her attitude and personality alone turned him off. It was that day he declared his love for his longtime friend's sister, Sally. And they've been together ever since. Charlie was happy for the two of them. And he and Schroeder had both severed ties with Lucy once and for all. And just a few day prior, he popped the question for her hand in marriage, to which she eagerly said yes.

Schroeder never gave up music or playing the piano. When he and Sally moved to Philadelphia after college, he landed a job as a music teacher at a local high school, and, even more exciting, regularly plays with the Philadelphia Orchestra. He kept in touch with nearly everyone, except, of course, Lucy. Everyone had written her off as a lost cause that was still living in the past and not moving forward. He did, however, keep in contact with Linus about what he was doing and even came to visit him when he was in the hospital. Sally even came with him to see her former crush and see how he was doing. While she didn't consider Linus her Sweet Babboo anymore, she still cared about him and considered him a close friend and almost like a second brother.

After Sally got done with Mrs. Wilmhelm's hair, she received a call from her parents back home. She went to the back to answer it.

"Hello? Mom?" she answered. "What's going on? Is everything okay with you and dad?"

"No everything's fine with us," said Mrs. Brown on the other end. "It's Lucy."

"I haven't heard that name in ages," said Sally. "What happened with Lucy?"

"She committed suicide, dear," Mrs. Brown said sadly.

"Oh my god! When did this happen?"

"Last night. She put a gun to her head and, well, you know."

"Wow. Does Charlie know?"

"He does, dear. He called your father this morning. Linus also texted him about it earlier this morning."

"Well, I'll let Schroeder know when I see him tonight. I'd call Linus to offer my condolences, but he and Lucy had a bad relationship and was estranged. Keep me posted about the funeral and when it is."

"I will, Sally. I'll talk to you later, dear. I love you."

"I love you, too, mom. Bye." And Sally hung up the phone.

Later that night at the townhouse she a Schroeder lived in, Sally cooked up some dinner for her and her fiancée. She was thinking about how she would break the news to him. He and Lucy had an acrimonious relationship at best. So, for sure there would be no love lost between him and Lucy, but how would he take her death, she wondered. Just then, she heard his car pull in.

Schroeder had grown quite tall. He also had plenty of good looks that all of the ladies wanted him, but he only had eyes for Sally, the love of his life. His job as a music teacher was rewarding and he didn't take it for granted. Plus, it didn't interfere with his gig with the orchestra. He walked in to a pleasant smell of steak and roasted potatoes and carrots with red wine. He immediately went over to his future wife.

"Hello, beautiful," he said, looking into her blue eyes.

"Hello yourself, handsome," she cooed. The two lovebirds kissed before settling in for dinner.

After eating Sally decided to tell Schroeder about Lucy. "Schroeder, mom called me today," she began.

"It wouldn't have to do with Lucy's death, would it?" he responded.

"You knew about it already?" Sally asked.

"Linus text me about it earlier today," Schroeder said. "He didn't say how she died, however."

"She shot herself in the head," said Sally.

"Whoa, really?"

"Yeah. Mom told me that she put a gun to her head and, well…"

"Yeah. So, any idea when the funeral is happening?"

"Not at the moment. Mom told me she'd let me know so we can fly out for it."

"Well, I don't know if I'll go or not, given the bad blood between myself and Lucy."

"If you do go, babe, you can finally get closure."

"Yeah, I guess. Tell you what, I'll think about it."

"Just don't think about it too long."

"Anyway, enough about Lucy. Other than that bit of news how was your day?" And the two continued to talk through the evening. Schroeder had a lot to think about because of his history with Lucy and how it ended.

 **NEXT CHAPTER: AN UNLIKELY REUNION**


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4: "…AND IT FEELS SO GOOOOOOD!"**

 _Los Angeles, California 1:00PM; Location: LAX_

A few days later, Charlie was at LAX on layover on his way back home to Sparkyville. The funeral for Lucy was in four days. He left his top manager in charge of the restaurant while he was gone. While he was primarily going to get closure from the drama associated with Lucy, he was also looking forward to seeing Sally and Schroeder, and his old friends again. He was also hoping Linus and Rerun would be there but wasn't holding his breath at the same time. Linus harbored a lot of animosity toward his parents for how they neglected him and his brother dealing with Lucy and not putting a stop to the abuse at her hands. Rerun had even less to do with them than Linus. Everyone agreed that as bad as Linus had it, Rerun suffered worse. And Charlie, while hoping that his best friend and baby brother would come to at least catch up with old friends, didn't expect them to show up either.

Around that time, a gorgeous woman with long, black hair, a lime green mini-dress, and matching heels came walking up towards him. She had a curvaceous figure and beautiful brown eyes. She was dragging her suitcase, which was also green, and carrying her purse. Charlie was smitten by the lovely creature heading toward him. He wasn't trying to score a date at that moment, but he couldn't help but be attracted to her. That's why he was surprised when she stopped to talk to him.

"Excuse me, sir," she began. "Is this the gate to the 2:30 flight to Sparkyville?"

"Yes, it is," said Charlie.

"Good," the woman said, sighing with relief. "I was hoping I didn't miss my flight."

"You're from Sparkyville?" asked Charlie. He wondered if he knew this lovely lady.

"I am from there originally," she replied. "I moved away from there before I was a teen. I've been in Los Angeles ever since. I'm going back because an old acquaintance had died tragically. Killed herself." Charlie gasped. He wondered if she was talking about Lucy.

"I found out about her death from my best friend who still lives there," said the woman.

"This acquaintance," Charlie started, "was her name Lucy Van Pelt?"

"You know her?" the woman gasped.

"More than you know," said Charlie, starting to put things together. "And your best friend, she isn't Patty Swanson, isn't she?"

"Oh my god, yes!" said the woman. "How do you know…" She then recognized the man she was talking to. "Oh! My! God! Charlie Brown?!"

"Yes, it's me, Violet."

"EEEEEEEEE!" Violet screamed. She immediately hugged him. "I don't believe it! After all these years, I finally run into you! How have you been?!"

"Pretty good, Violet. I actually live in California, myself. Owner of a restaurant up in Vallejo."

"Wow! Forgive me for saying this, but I never dreamed you'd own your own business."

"No problem. To tell you the truth, neither did I." They shared a laugh. "What have you been doing with yourself, Violet?"

"Well, I'm an actress and a model out here in LA. I also do commercials and voice-overs. I even landed some bit parts in movies and TV shows. I mainly do stage work and even some musicals. The pay is decent, but I do still hope to get that big role for myself; even at 38."

"You still got the looks for it, Vi."

"Charlie Brown, are you checking me out?!"

"Sorry, Violet, but I always thought you were a pretty girl growing up. You just grew into a gorgeous woman!" The two friends shared a laugh again. Violet playfully swatted Charlie.

"You blockhead!" she giggled.

"Man, would you believe I missed being called that?" said Charlie. "Not by Lucy, but others."

"Speaking of Lucy, how did you find out?"

"Linus texted me. But he didn't say how she died. I found out from my father that she shot herself."

"I had no idea she was that desponded about her life."

"Well, she brought it on herself, Violet. While the rest of us grew up and changed, she stayed that same crabby little girl, albeit in a super-sized package, that she always was from day one. Hell, even I stopped being wishy-washy many years ago."

"I can tell. You're not the same Charlie Brown from when we were kids. Which reminds me, I always wanted to apologize about how I treated you when we were younger."

"Forget about it, Violet. We were kids then; we all grow up. Except for Lucy, that is."

"I heard about you finally chewing her out about her treatment of you. Patty told me about that. We kept in touch through the years."

"I have to admit, Violet, I don't consider that my proudest moment. Rather, it was something that needed to be done, once and for all. It all started after Snoopy had passed away…"

 _ **Twenty Years Earlier**_

 _A 16-Year-Old Charlie Brown was at lunch. He was in 11_ _th_ _Grade and was saddened by the recent death of Snoopy. Woodstock had died years earlier and Snoopy was depressed about it. While everyone, even Frieda, who had a contentious relationship with the beagle herself, was compassionate and was comforting Charlie Brown, Lucy was less so._

 _"I'm so sorry about Snoopy, Charlie Brown," said Schroeder._

 _"Me too, Chuck," said Peppermint Patty. "We all will miss ol' Snoop."_

 _"He was a good dog, Charles," said a sad Marcie. "I have to admit, I will miss serving him those root beers."_

 _"If there's anything you need, Charlie Brown, let me know," said Frieda, who had been crying even more than Charlie Brown, himself. "I'll be here for you."_

 _"Same here, Charlie Brown," added Linus. "At least Snoopy led a good life."_

 _"Thanks, everyone," said a grateful Charlie Brown. "I'm lucky to have friends like you."_

 _"Oh, come on!" Lucy shouted all of the sudden. "All dogs die! Every animal dies! It's part of life! Do you cry when your goldfish dies and floats upside down at the top of the fish tank? No! You flush it down the toilet!"_

 _"This is not a goldfish we're talking about, Lucy," Charlie Brown responded. "This is my dog, my companion, my friend we're talking about. And I know that all animals die eventually. It doesn't hurt any less than if your grandparent dies or a loved one dies."_

 _"Well I, for one, am not mourning that stupid beagle!" spat Lucy, taking a bite out of a really large cheeseburger. "However, I will share what I_ WON'T _miss about that dog. I WON'T miss him kissing me at every opportunity. I WON'T miss him getting under my skin. I WON'T miss him dancing like an idiot. I WON'T miss him typing those stupid stories of his. How do they start? Oh yes! 'It was a dark and stormy night.' Bullshit!"_

 _"That's enough, Lucy!" warned Linus._

 _Ignoring her brother's warning, Lucy continued her rant. "I WON'T miss him being the World War I Flying Ace or any of those other stupid alter-egos he was, I WON'T miss him showboating during a ball game, though I will admit he was shades better than his blockhead of an owner here."_

 _"Goddammit, Lucy!" said Charlie Brown, trying but mostly failing to hold back his growing anger._

 _"And most of all," Lucy said, finishing her "tribute" to Snoopy, "I especially won't miss his eating everything in sight!"_

 _"She's more than picked up where he left off by the looks of things," joked Peppermint Patty to Marcie, noting Lucy's weight gain._

 _"So, Charlie Brown," she finished, "I'd advise you to get a grip and move on. Snoopy's gone and is not coming back. I swear you are so goddamn sensitive. Are you sure you're not gay or anything?"_

 _"LUCY!" shrieked Frieda._

 _"YOU FAT FUCKING BITCH!" Everyone was expecting that to come from Linus, seeing how he would shout that at Lucy at any moments notice. But they were shocked to see it was, in fact, Charlie Brown that shouted it._

 _"WHAT IN THE HOLY HELL'S THE MATTER WITH YOU?!" he screamed. "IS THIS WHAT YOU LIVE TO DO?! MAKE PEOPLE FEEL WORSE THAN WHAT THEY DO ALREADY?! I'M ALREADY WONDERING WHY I EVEN LISTENED TO YOU_ _THIS_ _LONG?! YOU TELLING ME HOW I WOULDN'T AMOUNT TO ANYTHING, HOW NO ONE WOULD EVER LOVE ME, YET I DATED PEGGY JEAN, EVEN FINALLY GOT TO DATE THE LITTLE RED-HAIRED GIRL BEFORE SHE MOVED, BUT NOPE! 'NO ONE WILL EVER LOVE YOU, CHARLIE BROWN.' WELL, LUCY VAN PELT, I AM HERE TO TELL YOU THAT I AM LOVED!"_

 _"Amen!" said Patty and Marcie, in unison._

 _"PEOPLE DO CARE ABOUT ME!"_

 _"We always have," said Linus. Schroeder and Sally nodded in agreement._

 _"BUT YOU RATHER SEE ME DEPRESSED, UNHAPPY, MOPING AROUND, BECAUSE IT PROVIDES YOU FODDER FOR YOUR ENDLESS TEASING AND BELITTLING OF ME! WELL THAT ENDS TODAY! YOU SAY I'M PATHETIC?_ _ **NO!**_ _IT'S_ _ **YOU**_ _, LUCY!_ _ **YOU**_ _ARE THE ONE WHO'S PATHETIC! LOOK AT YOU! YOU EAT FAST FOOD WITH ABANDON! YOU PROBABLY WEIGH MORE THAN A MILITARY CARRIER! YOU ARE NEVER SUPPORTIVE OF ANYONE! YOUR BROTHERS CAN'T STAND TO BE AROUND YOU! LINUS, THESE DAYS_ _BARELY_ _TOLERATES YOU AND RERUN IS DEATHLY AFRAID OF YOU! BY THE WAY, I HEARD ABOUT THE OREO INCIDENT WITH RERUN. I'M SHOCKED THE COPS DIDN'T ARREST YOU FOR ATTEMPTED MURDER!_

 _"BUT AS I SAID, I AM GOING TO SUCCEED, LUCY! AND THERE IS NOTHING,_ _ **FUCKING**_ _NOTHING THAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT! FOR YOU ARE A MISERABLE, FAT, PSYCHOTIC SOCIOPATH WITH NO OTHER AMBITION BESIDES TEARING DOWN PEOPLE JUST TO BUILD UP YOUR PATHETIC EXISTENCE. YOU MAY HAVE BEAT ME DOWN AND MADE ME DEPRESSED AND THINK EVERYONE HATED ME BEFORE, BUT THAT ENDS TODAY! BECAUSE YOU, AND EVERYONE ELSE, IS GOING TO SEE A NEW AND IMPROVED CHARLES MONROE BROWN!"_

 _And probably, for the first time ever, Lucy was speechless. It took her insulting Charlie Brown's deceased dog to drive Charlie Brown over the edge and finally tell her off. Everyone was silent._

 _"One more thing, you witch," said Charlie Brown, finally calming down. "As of today, right now, you are dead to me. You don't exist in my world anymore. No one will ever love me? I think no one will ever love_ _you_ _. You are dead to me, Lucille Van Pelt! I wash my hands of you once and for all!"_

 _And, after a while, someone cheered, "ALL RIGHT, CHARLIE BROWN!" And, to the surprise of Charlie Brown, everyone in the lunch room cheered him and chanted his name. For him, a long-standing weight had finally been lifted off his shoulders. The depressed feelings, aside from the mourning of Snoopy's death, was finally going away. The wishy-washiness was not too far behind from going away. Charlie Brown sighed and walked out the lunch room with his friends following, leaving Lucy by herself to ponder what had just happened._

 _ **Back to the present**_

"After that, Lucy became the pathetic one," said Charlie to Violet, finishing his flashback. "She was the one who couldn't do anything right. She was the pathetic one. She was the unloved one. The final nail in the coffin came not from me, but from Sally. She started dating Schroeder not too long after my confrontation with Lucy."

"Uh oh," said Violet. "I think I know where this is going."

"From what Sally and Schroeder told me, the day Lucy found out about them dating, she went insane, even for her. She tried to go after Sally, but was stopped by Molly Volley, who was working as a student enforcer. Schroeder gave her his own speech about how he and Lucy would never be together and that he loved Sally. Between that, and my severing ties with her, and everyone else following suit, the fall of Lucy was complete."

"Now I wished we stayed to witness that," said Violet. "Charlie, you've really changed. I can see it. You are sure of who you are, and you're not feeling sorry for yourself like you did when we were younger. You actually grew to be level-headed."

"I did, Violet. I may have been a depressed kid, but as an adult, I'm sure about what I am."

"So, Charlie, is there a Mrs. Brown?"

"Unfortunately, no. Don't get me wrong, I have dated and even got serious with one lady I dated a few years back, but no one I could click with."

"Maybe you were looking in the wrong places. Any woman would be lucky to be with a guy like you, Charlie."

"How about you, Vi? Any lucky guy that you're dating?"

"Alas, I'm in the same boat as you. I actually just got out of what I thought was a good relationship."

"What happened?"

"Well it turns out my bastard of a boyfriend was cheating on me with my former stylist. Well, just became my former stylist."

"Fired her, huh?"

"Oh, my stylist wasn't a 'her', Charlie!"

"You mean…"

"Yep. It turns out my ex was, in fact, gay. He came out when he started dating my stylist."

"FORMER stylist, that is."

"Correct."

"Well, maybe you'll find the right guy for you."

"And you'll find the right girl. She may be closer than you think." At that time, the stewardess announced it was time to board. When Charlie and Violet came up to the podium, the stewardess stopped them.

"What seats are you two?" she asked.

"I'm row 18, seat C," said Charlie.

"Row 24, seat A," said Violet.

"Well, it turns out we double booked this flight," said the stewardess.

"Oh, good grief," sighed Charlie.

"We do have extra room in First Class, if you like," the stewardess told them. "I hope you two don't mind sitting together."

"We're old friends, ma'am," said Violet, wrapping her arm around Charlie's. "We don't mind." And Charlie and Violet boarded the plane and was on their way back home to Sparkyville. Charlie was glad that he reunited with Violet. He noticed how beautiful she turned out and her snobby attitude she had as a little girl was gone. Plus, he couldn't wait to see his other old friends again, either.

 **NEXT CHAPTER: LINUS AND RERUN'S DECISION**


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER 5: THE MOMENT OF TRUTH**

 _Boston, Massachusetts 1:30 PM; Location: Boston Logan International Airport_

Linus, Audrey, and Rerun had their luggage waiting for their flight to Sparkyville. They decided to go ahead and head out there. They were still undecided about attending Lucy's funeral, but still went to at least catch up with old friends who may have been going, especially Charlie, Sally, and Schroeder, whom they were closest. The brothers agreed not to tell their parents that they were in town and they were going to insist that their friends not spill the beans. They wanted to wait and let them know if they were going to stay for Lucy's funeral.

"So, so you think you'll talk to them?" asked Audrey.

"I might," said Linus. "I do want to get some sort of closure with my parents. I just hope mom don't try to make excuses for Lucy again."

"What about you, Rerun?" Audrey asked the younger Van Pelt.

"What Linus does is his business," said Rerun. "As for me, I'm avoiding them like the plague. I'm not going back to that place. It's for my sanity and sobriety. I remember the day I gave them an ultimatum…"

 _ **10 Years Earlier…**_

 _"Mom, don't you see?!" asked an 18-year-old Rerun. "Lucy's not getting better; she's getting worse!"_

 _"Rerun dear, Lucy's just going through her cycle right now," said Lacey, their mother. "It's that time of the month for her."_

 _"That's the problem!" Rerun fumed. "It's that time of the month EVERY FREAKING DAY with her! Mom, there's something seriously wrong with Lucy. Not even the most ill-tempered person is this crazy, this angry, every day of their lives! This is why Linus moved out when he was my age. He had enough, and so have I. Dad, can't you say something to her?!"_

 _Larry Van Pelt was a quiet man who didn't get involved much in family disputes. He did seem to sympathize with his sons, though, but was vetoed by Lacey often. "Rerun has a point, dear."_

 _"Larry!" whined Lacey. "You're supposed to be supporting me! Our daughter needs us and our attention. That community college didn't see the potential in her."_

 _"WHAT POTENTIAL?!" asked a bewildered Rerun. "Linus was right. She's a lost cause! And yet, you still support her. Make her go out on her own! She's 25 years old and still living at home. And she has not grown up at all. Although she's grown 'out'!"_

 _"LIAM!" gasped Lacey._

 _"Sorry, but it's true, mom," said Rerun, his patience now up. "So, I'm going to give you a choice. Either get Lucy some help and possibly get her on meds so she can be a part of society, or I'm gone. And unlike Linus, you will never hear from me, nor will I give you my number to call. What's it going to be, mom?!" Lacey hung her head down._

 _"I'm sorry, dear," she sighed. "Lucy needs us."_

 _"Very well," said Rerun, heading for his room. "Just one request before I leave forever. When you become too broke to take care of her freeloading ass, don't call me for help. I advise you not to call Linus, either." And Rerun went to pack some clothes and headed for his beat-up pickup truck and left for parts unknown._

 _ **Back to the present**_

"I never saw them again after that," Rerun finished. "I fell into the wrong crowd and got hooked on drugs and alcohol. Started committing petty crimes and ended up in jail, so I wasn't able to visit Linus when he came home. And unlike mom, I'm not making excuses for my own actions and all of the bad things I did; I take full responsibility. But now I'm trying to get my life back together again. That's why I moved out here with you two. Audrey, you and my brother are the only family I trust."

"I, more than anyone, gets it, Rerun," said Linus. "That's why I'm not saying anything to them about being in town right away. When I do, I may talk to dad first, because we could always talk to him. It seemed like he suffered as a result of Lucy as the two of us."

"Yeah, maybe," said Rerun. "But he didn't do anything to help, either." And they got ready to board their plane.

 _Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 1:55 PM; Location: PHL Philadelphia International Airport_

Sally and Schroeder were already boarded on their plane and were about to fly out to Sparkyville. Schroeder decided to go to the funeral after all, only to make sure his nightmare was really over. Sally also wanted to see her brother and parents, as well as find her best friend, Eudora, to ask if she would be her maid of honor in their upcoming wedding.

"I wonder if Franklin and Marcie will be coming back, as well," said Sally.

"Maybe," said Schroeder. "Though I don't think they'll be getting too close to everyone. You remember the fallout between Marcie and Tricia over Tricia's quitting school?"

"How could I forget?" Sally replied. "It was the second most talked about fight, only after my brother's confronting Lucy."

"I always thought those two would be best friends forever," said Schroeder, with a sigh. "I just hope that they don't fight when they come back to town."

"Me too, babe," agreed Sally. And the plane got ready to take off for Sparkyville. Sally and Schroeder couldn't wait to see their families and old friends. Aside from Charlie and Linus, no one knew that they were engaged to be married. They planned to make that announcement when they were home.

 _Somewhere over Oklahoma 2:45 PM_

Charlie and Violet were sitting together in First Class on their plane. They spent the time catching up on each other's lives and what they've been up to. Violet had cuddled up to Charlie and laid her head on his shoulder to take a small nap. He didn't mind it at all. He was happy to be with her. Violet had really grown into a beautiful woman and even became nicer as she got older. While he wasn't looking forward to the funeral, he couldn't wait to see everyone again.

 **TO BE CONTINUED…**

 **NEXT UP: PART 2 (THE REUNION)**


End file.
